Over the Sunset Stream
by Sarcastic Realist
Summary: A sequel to Under the Willow Tree. You don't have to read that one first, but it might be a good idea. You won't be totally lost or anything... GC


**_A/N: Thanks for the really sweet reviews on the sort-of prequel to this story, "Under the Willow Tree". They really made my day. Lol, don't tell my friend Steph, but I like writing GC, it's really easy- for me at least. So I decided to write a follow-up thing for it. I hope you like this one just as much as the other one!_**

**Over the Sunset Stream**

_"Hi." _

_I look up. There's a girl, maybe 15 years old, standing beside me. _

_"I'm Cat." _

_"Hi." _

_"This is a pretty place."_

_"Thanks." I study her warily, trying to figure out why she's bothering to talk to me._

_"Can I join you?"_

_I shrug. "Sure."_

_She does, mimicking my position by sliding her legs in between the posts of the wooden bridge that sits over the flowing stream. _

_"What's your name?" she asks out of nowhere._

_"Gil." _

_"Oh. My full name is Catherine."_

_I don't say anything. _

_"Am I annoying you?" she looks at me with big blue eyes._

_"No," I answer truthfully. "I just don't talk much."_

_"What do you like to do?" her expression is curious._

_"I like bugs." _

_Now she'll get freaked out and run away._

_"Really? That's cool!" she exclaims._

_"I want to be an entomologist when I grow up," I admit hesitantly._

_"I'm gonna be a dancer," she says confidently. "My friends say I'm the best."_

_"That's pretty awesome," I tell her._

_"Do you want to see a dance I made up?"_

_"Sure."_

* * *

I try with all my might to concentrate on my paperwork. To no avail. 

I sigh.

_This isn't working. _

I get up and walk into the break room, hoping that she isn't there. Oh, good. "Sara," I hiss. "Sara!"

"What?" she looks up; confused. "Griss, what is it?"

A light dawns in her eyes. "I told you I can't come in tonight, I have a date!" she says exasperatedly.

"No, no, it's not that," I assure her calmly, drawing in a deep breath. "I need your help."

_

* * *

"Isn't it cool how the sunset light hits the water just right and then makes the water look like the sky?" Cat points to the trickling stream underneath our feet._

_"I wonder if it's cold," she muses. Suddenly, she pulls off her shoes, scoots a little closer to the edge of the bridge, and dips her toes in the water. She giggles. "It tickles."_

_I frown, trying to decide whether I should follow her lead. _

_"Come on, Bugman," she grabs my hand and pulls me closer, using the unique nickname she has developed for me._

_"Alright," I concede reluctantly. I take off my shoes and plunge my feet in. "It feels good," I say; only half-surprised. "It does tickle a little bit," I admit._

_"I told you so," she grins._

* * *

"You're doing what?" she fairly screeches in my ear. 

"Sara, please, my hearing is bad enough as it is." I raise my eyebrows. "Are you sure you can help me?"

"Yes, Grissom, I can help you."

"Do you know what size she wears?" I ask.

Sara sighs. "Yes! She gave me a ring once 'cause it was too small on her. I'm wearing it right now, so we can just figure out what size that is…" she trails off expectantly.

"Oh, I get it," I announce proudly.

She rolls her eyes. "Damn, for a scientist, Gil, you can be so dense sometimes."

"I know."

_

* * *

"Are you going to the dance?" _

_"Hello to you, too," I reply dryly. She doesn't say hi anymore; she's usually too pumped up about something to bother. And she knows she's the only female friend that I have._

_"Are you?" she plunks down beside me and sticks her feet in the water. _

_"No." I snort. "Why would I go through all of the hassle of getting something to wear, going all the way there, and-" _

_"Okay, okay, I get the point," she throws her hands up and grins._

_"Are you going?" I have a feeling I know the answer already._

_She nods. "Yeah. This cute football player asked me. His name is, uh, Eddie?" she frowns. "Or Andy… or Evan, or something." She shrugs._

_I smirk. "You don't even know his name?"_

_She shrugs again. "No. That's okay, though, he'll probably end up being scared away half-way through the night by my dancing anyway." She grins evilly._

_"I'm scared just sitting here," I tease her, laughing._

_"You should be."_

* * *

"Grissom, do you even know what you're looking for?" she eyes me dubiously as we wander through the store. 

"No," I confess truthfully. _I have no idea what the hell I'm doing._

A clerk approaches us cheerfully. "May I help you?"

I take a deep breath. "I'm looking for a ring."

The clerk smiles. "Are you going for sophistication, or something a little simpler?"

"Well, I want something nice, but not too big or elaborate," I offer. "We work with dead bodies, so it shouldn't get in the way."

Sara stifles a giggle.

Turning slightly green, the clerk steps back and leads us to the front. "I think I have exactly what you need." She ducks behind the counter and produces a small blue velvet box.

I flip it open and Sara gasps. It's a basic thin silver band with a tiny blue sapphire set in the middle.

I know it's the one.

_

* * *

"How was your date?" I inquire as she collapses beside me._

_"What in the world possessed me to go out with such a selfish, arrogant jerk?" she shakes her head, splashing water on me._

_I chuckle. "I don't know." _

_"Can I tell you a secret?" she studies me seriously._

_"Sure, Cat."_

_"I couldn't concentrate."_

_"That's your secret?" _

_She shakes her head vehemently. "No. I couldn't stop thinking about you."_

_"Why me?" I raise an eyebrow at her._

_"Well, 'cause you're all alone."_

_"So?"_

_She frowns. "Don't you ever get lonely?" _

_I shrug. I don't even really know the answer to the question._

* * *

"I want something engraved on the inside of the band," I say on a quick incentive. 

Sara eyes me curiously, but doesn't comment.

"Sure," the clerk agrees easily, and takes out a pen and paper.

"Love is friendship caught on fire," I quote for her.

"That's beautiful," she murmurs.

"Thanks."

"What size would you like it in?"

After getting Sara's ring measured, she guesses that Cath would be about a size seven and a half.

We tell the clerk the measurement, place an order, and it's done.

"It will be ready for you in about five days," she informs us with a smile.

Sara thanks her and we walk out.

I expressed my gratitude by thanking her profusely.

"No problem," she throws me her famous Sidle-grin.

_

* * *

"I got a job."_

_We're not sitting anymore; we're too old for that now. We stand on the old wooden bridge, over the sunset stream- in silence._

_"Where?"_

_"On the other side of Vegas. I leave in two days."_

_"Oh."_

_"Come on, Gil, say something!"_

_"What do you want me to say?" I shrug._

_She sighs. "I'll miss you."_

_"I'll miss you, too."_

_"Will you really?" her tone is almost accusatory._

_"Yeah."_

_On impulse, she gives me a light kiss and without another word, runs away._

* * *

"Griss?" Sara touches my shoulder uncertainly. "Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine."

She smiles. "Good. How are you going to do it?"

"I'm going to blow her away."

She laughs. "God, Grissom, you are in a great mood, aren't you?"

"Hell yeah," I reply with a grin. "Wanna see it?"

"Hell yeah," she imitates me, not even bothering to ask what I'm going to show her.

I show her the bridge and stream.

"Wow. Damn, Gil Grissom, you are good."

"Thank you."

She is staring.

"Did you build it yourself?"

"No, I had some old friends help me."

"How long did it take?" Making no attempt to hide her shock, she gapes at the two-story, newly furnished house in the clearing on one side of the stream.

"About a year. I do have a job, you know."

"What will you do if she says no?"

"Sell it."

She gasps. "No, you can't!"

"Why not?" I frown.

"Never mind. She'll say yes, I'm sure of it." She nods confidently.

"I hope so."

_

* * *

"I'm getting married."_

_I drop the phone. _

_"Gil?" her voice floats up from the receiver. _

_I pick it up again. "Sorry. Congratulations."_

_"Thanks. You're invited, just so you know." _

_"Oh. Great; when is it?"_

_"In a month. There's an invitation coming in the mail."_

_"I'm happy for you, Cat."_

_"I know."_

_"Who's the lucky man?"_

_"Eddie."_

_"You mean-"_

_She laughs. "Yeah, the Eddie that I went out with in High School. What are the odds, huh?"_

_"Go figure," I mutter. _

_"What?"_

_"Nothing." _

_"Can you come?"_

_"Wouldn't miss it for the world." In spite of myself, a smile breaks through._

* * *

"Gil, where _are _we going?" Catherine sounds irritated. 

I don't blame her. Maybe the blindfold idea wasn't the best one after all…

"Gil!"

"What?" I continue driving casually. "Relax, Cath, we'll be there soon."

She ignores me for the rest of the ride.

Ten minutes later, I park the car on the side of the road and get out.

"Can I take it off yet?"

"No," I answer, opening the passenger side door and taking her hand, helping her out of the car.

"Am I going to run into something?" she asks suspiciously.

I stifle a laugh. "No, I won't let you run into anything."

"Remind me again why I love you so much," she says sweetly.

I give her a lingering kiss.

"Mmm, that's why." She grins, and I kiss her again before leading her through the grove to the bridge.

_

* * *

"I'm free."_

_"I know."_

_"He's dead."_

_"He'll never hit you again, Cat, I promise." I vow._

_"I know."_

_"Gil?"_

_"What?"_

_"Thanks for always being there for me when I needed you."_

_"You're welcome."_

_She gives me a hug. _

* * *

"Okay, one more minute," I tell her. 

"Thank God," she murmurs. "I hate being blind."

"Take it off," I instruct, making sure she's facing the house.

She doesn't say anything for a full two minutes as she surveys the scene before her: the silhouette of a wooden, two-story house in a clearing by our bridge.

I timed it so that the sun would be hitting the water just how she liked it.

When she finally turns back to me, I am down on one knee, holding the ring box open.

"Cath, will you marry me?"

"Oh my God." Tears form in her eyes and trickle down her cheeks. "Oh my God. Gil, you did this for me?"

I swallow and nod.

"Yes." Her voice is barely above a whisper. "Yes, I'll marry you."

I slide the ring gently on her finger.

"It's beautiful," she sniffs.

"Thank you."

Her eyes widen with the actuality of the situation, and she squeals. "Yes! Yes! A million times yes!"

I take her in my arms and swing her around.

"I love you, soon-to-be Mrs. Grissom."

She laughs, out of pure joy, and kisses me deeply. "I love you Gil."

_**A/N: Did you like it? bites lip uncertainly I know it wasn't as good as the last one, and I'm sorry, but I tried my best. PLEASE review; should I write more GC stuff? Or continue this, or something? I don't know how, but I'd think of something... **_


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